Orbán cabinet: Chinese BYD investment will put Szeged in Europe’s TOP 30
The construction of Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD’s plant in Szeged will put the Hungarian city among the biggest 30 industrial centres in Europe, Construction and Transportation Minister János Lázár said on Friday.
After talks with Szeged Mayor László Botka, Lázár said construction of the BYD plant, to be the biggest car plant in Hungary, was progressing at a faster than expected pace. The first vehicles should roll off the line in the second half of 2025, he added.
By the time production starts, road, railway and utilities infrastructure upgrades will be completed, he said.
With the cooperation of Serbia and China, the nearby border crossing at Roszke will be expanded to become the biggest road freight and rail cargo crossing in the Schengen zone, he added.
A four-lane road will be built connecting the plant to the M43 motorway, while two other access roads will be expanded. A railway terminal will be built nearby, while the rail line between Szeged and Kiskunfélegyháza, to the north, will be rebuilt at a cost of HUF 175bn.
Lázár said railway developments were expected to be financed with a EUR 2.2bn loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). He added that the Roszke border crossing would be expanded with Chinese cooperation and credit.
Lázár said 10,000 people would work at the plant,
requiring upgrades of Szeged’s public transport. He added that HUF 2bn would be allocated immediately to extend the lifespan of Szeged’s bridge over the Tisza.
Lázár said the number of cars produced in Hungary annually would rise to 1 million within three years.
Mayor Botka said the municipal council had been working in close cooperation with the central government to prepare for the construction of the BYD plant for a year. He added that there was “full consensus” on the investment among civic leaders and residents.
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8 Hungarian universities secure spots in Shanghai Ranking’s top 500!
Fully eight Hungarian universities rank among the top 500 in the latest Shanghai Ranking, the culture and innovation ministry said on Wednesday.
The Hungarian institutions were competing with prestigious universities like Harvard and Oxford in five main academic fields, the ministry said in a statement. The medical Semmelweis University ranked in the top 100 in the field of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, the ministry said, adding that Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and the University of Veterinary Medicine (ATE) also performed well.
The Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) ranks 1,900 universities from 96 countries in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, life sciences, medical sciences and social sciences, the statement said. Of Hungary’s 64 higher education institutions, eight were ranked in 22 fields on this year’s list, all of which were ranked in the top 500. Semmelweis University ranks 82nd globally in the field of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences and among the top 200 in clinical medicine. Meanwhile, BME ranks 101-150th in civil engineering, ELTE 151-200th in mathematics, and ATE 151-200th in veterinary sciences.
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Chinese EVE Power submits industrial safety report for battery plant in Hungary
Chinese-owned EVE Power Kft has submitted an industrial safety report for a battery plant it is building in Debrecen (E Hungary), the municipal council said on Tuesday.
EVE Power in Hungary
The report, submitted after EVE launched its application for an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permit, has been posted in full on the municipal council’s website (www.debrecen.hu) and a site (debreceniakkugyar.hu) operated by EDC Debrecen, the city’s economic development agency.
The municipal council welcomed the Chinese company’s pledge to use treated greywater at the plant.
The company announced the HUF 400bn plant in the spring of 2023 and started ground work the following autumn. The plant, slated to start production in 2026, will supply a factory German car maker BMW is building in Debrecen.
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Justice minister Tuzson: Europe is in big trouble, its competitiveness is lagging behind that of the US and China
Justice Minister Bence Tuzson said in Budapest on Monday that Europe “is in big trouble” and that its competitiveness is lagging behind that of the US and China. This was ahead of a conference on competitiveness held in the framework of Hungary’s EU presidency.
Speaking ahead of the conference entitled Legal Competitiveness—Instruments of Law for a more Competitive Europe, which will be held in downtown Várkert Bazar from 11 to 12 November, Tuzson said the Hungarian presidency focused on competitiveness and saw legal and legislative work as of primary importance within that topic. The timing and structure of regulations are fundamental factors in competitiveness, and it is important that the issue is addressed on a European level, he said.
Tuzson lamented the EU’s “tunnel vision” regarding legislation’s impact on competitiveness. As an example, he pointed to GDPR’s effect on SMEs in the EU, saying they were at a competitive disadvantage compared with companies in third countries “to whom GDPR doesn’t apply and so they can be more competitive.”
Tuzson said the EU is also behind in digitalisation and AI, adding that they would be important tools in legal work.
“The EU still has a chance, but we are in the last minute” to catch up with competitors posing “an enormous global challenge” for the EU, he said, adding that the Hungarian presidency was working to facilitate that process.
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EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Mysterious death on Chinese flight in Budapest, airline stays silent
New Mercedes models built in Hungary may feature Chinese engine
PHOTOS: Chinese mini library inaugurated, China very proud on Szeged BYD plant
EV maker BYD’s plant under construction in Szeged (SE Hungary) is a model for cultivating ties between China and Hungary, Gong Tao, China’s ambassador to Hungary, said on Friday.
After inaugurating a Chinese mini library at the Déri Miksa Technicum in Szeged, Gong Tao said ties between Hungary and China had never been better, adding that a visit to Budapest by Chinese President Xi Jinping in May had given new impetus to bilateral relations.
The ambassador met with László Botka, the mayor of Szeged, Andras Magori, the head of the Csongrad-Csanad County council, and leaders of the University of Szeged during his visit to the city on Thursday and Friday.
He said construction of the BYD plant in Szeged was going smoothly and production was expected to start in the second half of 2025. He added that Chinese companies could help Hungary in the green transition, support high-quality development and contribute to putting the country at the forefront of Europe’s electric vehicle industry.
Here are some photos of the plant under construction. It will be the world’s largest EV maunfacturing plant:
China-Hungary cooperation praised
He acknowledged that all Chinese companies must abide by local rules and accept obligations with regard to environmental protection and sustainability. He also pointed to the importance of working to forge ties with local communities for those companies.
China and Hungary’s cooperation shows well the benefits of connection between the East and West, which promotes world peace and development, he said.
He added that bilateral ties were strengthening in the areas of science, technology, higher education and vocational education.
Students at the Déri Miksa Technicum are being exposed to the Chinese language with the support of the Confucius Institute in Szeged and most have said they would like to join a language course.
Chinese SAIC Motor takes over local importing of MG brand
China’s SAIC Motor is taking over the local importing of its MG car brand from Duna Motors Disztribúció, the parties announced on Thursday. SAIC Motor CEE will take over the importing activities from the start of 2025. Duna Motors Disztribúció started importing MG cars in September 2022. MG’s market share in Hungary stands at 1.9pc at present. This year, sales of the models are expected to exceed 1,500.
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Speaker Kövér: Hungary, China have similar views of the “present and future of the world” – UPDATED
Speaker of Parliament László Kövér met Wang Huning, the chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing on Wednesday, the parliament’s press chief said.
Kövér and Wang discussed bilateral ties as well as international affairs, Zoltán Szilágyi said.
Kövér said the two countries had similar views of the “present and future of the world, and our relations are characterised by mutual respect and by not interfering with each other’s affairs.”
Hungary is striving to build a pragmatic relationship with the People’s Republic of China, and “does not wish to mix ideology with economic cooperation.” It is working to strengthen connectivity in the world, and “we picture our country as a meeting point of eastern and western capital in the future”, he said. “We do not support policies raising the spectre of an economic war and restricting cooperation between the EU and China.”
Hungary will remain a home for Chinese investments
“We aim to continue to offer a home for Chinese investments in Hungary, to further strengthen trade, and to increase Hungarian exports into China,” Kövér said.
Challenges such as climate change, the effect of pollution and mass illegal migration, which are hitting both countries “in a volatile and dangerous international situation”, can only be solved through joint effort, he said.
Wang said ties between the two countries had never been stronger, “and China greatly appreciates Hungary’s efforts to solve international conflicts too.” He praised the “multilayered cultural ties” between Hungary and China, adding that Hungary was home to 5 Confucius Institutes and a bilingual Hungarian-Chinese elementary and secondary school.
Hungary’s parliamentary delegation attended a gala marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the countries at the Chinese National Opera House, organised by Hungary’s embassy to Beijing.
Kövér: dynamic development in Hungarian-Chinese ties
Speaker of Parliament László Kövér left Beijing and paid a visit to Chongqing, parliament’s press office reported on Friday.
UPDATE: Hungarian-Chinese Investor Roundtable holds inaugural meeting
The Hungarian-Chinese Investor Roundtable (MKBKA) held its inaugural meeting at the end of October, the body told MTI on Thursday. The MKBKA is a body of independent experts established to support the achievement of goals in the Belt and Road Initiative intergovernmental strategic cooperation agreement through recommendations and consultation. The roundtable will also contribute to the preparation and implementation of bilateral projects.
The MKBKA aims to enhance Hungary and China’s broad strategic partnership and advance cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, agriculture, investments, transportation, education, science, technology, healthcare, sport, culture and tourism. Members of the MKBKA include the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BKIK), the Hungarian Association of Industrial Parks, the China Trade Information Center and the Eurasia Centre of Neumann Janos University.
The members elected Tamás Janzsó, the head of the Hungarian Association of Industrial Parks, to lead the roundtable. Members also decided to open an office in China, set up a portal for preparing projects and create databases of investment locations and suppliers. A Eurasia Club will be established for networking.
Brussels must rethink pro-war strategy in wake of Trump victory, says Fidesz
Brussels must rethink its pro-war strategy in the wake of the victory of Donald Trump at the US presidential election, András László, an MEP of ruling Fidesz said on Wednesday.
László said “Trump’s victory came as a shock” for Brussels, adding that the EU had “expected an extended period of support for Ukraine, with US help, but if Trump keeps his promise and tries to quickly end the war in Ukraine, it means that the pro-war strategy must be re-thought in Brussels.”
He added that “in that case practically everything will have to be handled from the EU budget and defence industry, which will create an entirely new situation”.
Meanwhile, László said that Trump had also urged NATO member states to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defence spending, in line with NATO directives, during his first term. Trump warned the member states not to rely on the alliance “just because its article 5 ensures protection from the US in the case of an attack,” László added.
Trump had expected the member states already at that time to shoulder their share in NATO activities, he said.
László added that Hungary had announced large military and defence investments years ago in order to carry out the modernisation of the army which is still under way.
Featured image: László Kövér in the Hungarian Parliament
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65 brand-new Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses come to Budapest
Budapest public transport company BKV will take delivery of 65 new Mercedes-Benz Citaro K buses in the second half of 2025, Gergely Karácsony, the capital’s mayor, said on Facebook on Wednesday.
BKV will upgrade about 8pc of its fleet with the procurement, Karácsony said.
Hungary committed to becoming R+D centre for battery tech
The head of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) highlighted a commitment to make the country the leading R+D centre for battery technology in Europe by 2030 addressing the Hungarian Battery Week conference in Budapest on Wednesday, HIPA said. Istvan Joo specified a commitment to make Hungary the leader in Europe in terms of registered patents in the European battery sector and said work was underway to make the country one of the leading European centres for battery industry related higher education and vocational training.
He added that making Hungary a hub for business service centres in the battery industry was another pledge. Hungary is committed to maintaining its position among the top five global players in battery production throughout the decade, he said. He added that the country was striving to create a “complete ecosystem” for battery manufacturing and had developed a comprehensive supplier network. Hungary encourages new partners to bring high value-added activities to the country and convinces companies that already have a presence in the country to move towards R+D activities and university collaborations, he said. Joo noted that lithium-ion batteries were Hungary’s most significant export product in 2023, accounting for 6.4pc of the total.
Chinese CATL will soon start production
Since 2016, HIPA has supported battery manufacturing investments with a combined value of around EUR 24bn that are expected to create almost 33,000 jobs, he said. In addition to the plants of Samsung SDI on the outskirts of Budapest and SK On group’s in Komarom and Ivancsa that are already operating, Chinese battery maker CATL will soon start production at its base in Debrecen, while EVE Power’s project in Debrecen and Sunwoda’s investment in Nyiregyhaza are progressing well, he added. Joo said that China was “at the heart” of the revolution in electrification, pointing out that of the ten biggest battery makers in the world, with a 95pc market share, six were Chinese, three South Korean and one Japanese.
“It is clear that the East has taken over the industry on a global scale,” he added. Joo said the government’s Eastern Opening policy had helped to make Hungary a “meeting point” between West and East, for big German car makers and Asian new energy suppliers. He added that the government’s strategy of connectivity, a demonstration of a policy of economic neutrality, had been a window of opportunity for cooperation between Eastern and Western companies.
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- EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Mysterious death on Chinese flight in Budapest, airline stays silent
- New Mercedes models built in Hungary may feature Chinese engine – read more HERE
Featured image: depositphotos.com
EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Mysterious death on Chinese flight in Budapest, airline stays silent
One of our readers shared with us a story about a mysterious death on board a China Southern Airlines flight that landed in Budapest on 20 October. Our reader wrote that he was on board trying to resuscitate a woman suffering from cardiopulmonary arrest with a student surgeon and the victim’s husband. The crew could not provide an automated external defibrillator, and the woman died after landing in Budapest. Budapest Airport acknowledged the tragedy, but the Chinese airline still denies it, our reader wrote.
Crew could not provide an automated external defibrillator
One of our readers shared an eyebrow-raising tragedy with our editorial staff lately. The sorrowful events affected a China Southern Airlines aircraft, arriving from Guangzhou (China) to Budapest on 20 October 2024 under flight number CZ 0649.
According to our reader, two hours before landing, “a flight attendant called into the cabin to ask if any medical personnel were on board to help a passenger.” As a nurse, our reader volunteered and tried to rescue the life of a woman suffering from cardiopulmonary arrest with her husband, a student surgeon and a stewardess.
“After a quick assessment of the situation, I took the victim to the back of the aircraft, as she was in cardiopulmonary arrest. I then began CPR with the help of a young surgical student and the victim’s husband. I asked the flight crew for an automatic defibrillator, but they said they didn’t have one”, he added.
He said the crew did not know what to do, so they were on their own to rescue the woman’s life. It took more than 1.5 hours until the plane landed in Budapest, where a rescue team took over the patient but with no success. Then, the Hungarian nurse was left alone without help from the crew.
Mysterious death: Airline silent, Budapest Airport acknowledges tragedy
“For the past 2 weeks, I’ve been trying in vain to get information from the airline, which tells me every day that they are not aware of this incident, and that they are not aware that one of their passengers died on their plane. The company never tried to reach me, no help was offered, no support. I’m still terribly shocked by this event. I don’t understand why there was no defibrillator on board. Why didn’t we land earlier at another, closer airport to take care of the victim? Why did the airline say it was unaware that someone had died on one of their flights? Why didn’t the company try to reach me? To accompany me? Why does the company ignore my requests? Why doesn’t the company react to such a serious event?”
We asked Budapest Airport about the tragedy. The airport wrote that the crew of the plane asked for medical help from the airport at dawn on 20 October for an unconscious passenger. They sent an AMS unit, which took over the cardiopulmonary resuscitation of the patient but could not save her life.
We wrote to China Southern Airlines on 1 November, but they have not yet replied despite our warning that we would like to cover the story.
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New Mercedes models built in Hungary may feature Chinese engine
Until now, many people believed that although China would overtake Europe in electric drive, the classic car manufacturers were unbeatable in conventional engines. Well, this seems to be becoming less and less the case, and it can be disproved with a Mercedes made in Hungary, for example.
According to CarNewsChina, the third generation of the soon-to-be-renewed Mercedes-Benz CLA model will bring significant changes to its engine bay. A 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit jointly developed by one of Mercedes’ major investors, Geely of China, and Horse Powertrain Limited will be fitted.
The engine, which was the result of a 2024 Geely-Renault collaboration, will offer 250bhp of power and 360Nm of maximum torque and looks set to be used in Mercedes cars.
Other Chinese technologies have also been used in the development of the CLA. Mercedes is working with local company Momenta to integrate intelligent driving solutions into the model, including urban driving functions. The Momenta startup was founded in 2016, and Mercedes-Benz was an early investor.
read also: Mercedes-Benz celebrates 2 millionth car produced at Kecskemét plant in Hungary
The CLA will be available with a conventional powertrain and a fully electric version. The electric CLA version will feature a 175 kW rear electric motor and an 89.6 kWh battery pack, providing a range of 750 km according to the Chinese WLTC standard. Built on an all-new platform, the Mercedes model has an 800 V architecture that allows for high-speed charging: it can generate enough power for up to 400 km in just 15 minutes.
The new model, which will also be produced at the Kecskemét plant, will premiere in Hungary in 2025. The mild hybrid version is likely to go on sale in 2026, further expanding the Mercedes-Benz range.
Hungarian foreign minister talks about EU punitive tariffs against Chinese e-cars
The European Commission’s punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles are “another blow to the continent’s competitiveness”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said in Budapest on Thursday.
The measure serves the interest of neither European countries nor businesses, Szijjártó said in a post on social media. He added that the European Union’s executive, led by Ursula von der Leyen, had “disregarded” the positions of member states and big European businesses with the step.
He noted that just ten of the 27 EU member states had backed the measure, while European automotive industry companies had fought it “tooth and nail”. “The success of Europe’s electromobility strategy is difficult to imagine without cooperation with Chinese suppliers,” he added.
He pinned the blame on the EC president for putting Europe “in a war it will lose”, while reducing the weight of the EU in the global economy and in global politics.
The EC on Wednesday imposed countervailing duties on imports of EVs from China for a period of five years. The duties are in force from Thursday.
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Hungarian investment promotion agency HIPA slams EU’s punitive tariffs on Chinese e-cars
Car buyers “stand to lose the most” as a result of the European Union’s punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, the head of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA) said in a post on social media on Thursday.
István Joó said the measure didn’t serve to protect the interests of the European automotive industry “by a long shot”, pointing to partnerships between Chinese suppliers and companies such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz as well as those companies’ own manufacturing capacity in China.
The biggest German automotive industry companies take the position that the tariffs hinder global competitiveness and damage supply chains, he added.
He noted that Oliver Zipse, BMW’s CEO, had warned that the tariffs were a “fatal signal” for global trade and could lead to retaliation by China, while Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume had said the car maker would face “significant disadvantages” in the Chinese market as a result of the measure. He added that Ola Kallenius, who heads Mercedes-Benz, had said it was a “complete illusion” to think the automotive world could be divided into regions that have nothing to do with each other.
“The future of mobility in Europe lies in innovation and cooperation, not in tariffs,” Joó said.
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National Bank of Hungary marks 75 years of Hungarian-Chinese relations with commemorative coin and book
The National Bank of Hungary (NBH) commemorated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Hungary and the People’s Republic of China by presenting a coin set issued by the bank for the occasion and a book titled The 75th Anniversary of Hungarian-Chinese Financial Relations, the NBH said on Tuesday.
Central bank governor György Matolcsy praised the continuous development of Hungarian-Chinese financial relations, the NBH said. Amid geopolitical challenges, key states such as Hungary are becoming more and more important and can offer a platform for cooperation between West and East, he added.
Ambassador Gong Tao thanked the NBH and Matolcsy for promoting bilateral relations. In the past 75 years, Hungary and China have worked actively to elevate relations to an unprecedented level, the statement said.
Photos:
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Chinese EVE Power battery plant IPPC permit submitted in Hungary
China’s EVE Power has submitted the application for an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permit for a battery plant it is building in Debrecen (E Hungary), the company told MTI on Monday.
EVE Power in Debrecen
The construction of the battery plant is advancing according to plan, EVE Power said.
The Chinese company announced the HUF 400bn plant in the spring of 2023 and started ground work the following autumn.
The company started recruiting to staff the plant in 2023. New hires are set to reach 60 in 2024, around 100 in 2025, over 550 in 2026 and close to 300 in 2027.
The plant, slated to start production in 2026, will supply a factory German car maker BMW is building in Debrecen.
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Hungary to continue opening towards China, says Orbán cabinet
Hungary will continue opening towards China, Levente Magyar, the foreign affairs parliamentary state secretary, said at an event at House of Music Hungary on Thursday, marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary.
Magyar noted the “intense and fruitful” diplomatic events between Hungary and China in recent years, highlighting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Budapest this year, when the two countries elevated their cooperation to a strategic partnership.
China has established such a relationship with a very narrow group of countries, the state secretary said, adding that the strategic partnership between the two countries was an important milestone of the past decade of developments.
Hungary received 44 percent of total Chinese FDI into the EU last year, Magyar said, adding this was a testament to the importance of Hungarian-Chinese cooperation, given that Hungary accounts for about 1 percent of the EU economy.
He noted that there are now four direct air links between Hungary and China.
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- Budapest university launching partnership with Chinese university with a focus on AI – read more HERE
- Historic deal: Szeged in Hungary sells land to Chinese BYD for nearly EUR 30 million
Budapest university launching partnership with Chinese university with a focus on AI
Corvinus University of Budapest and the Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute have launched a partnership that seeks to establish a joint system for research and startup incubation, the Culture and Innovation Ministry said on Thursday.
The cooperation extends to joint support to grow innovative early-stage businesses, the organisation of joint conferences and academic programmes, and researcher and student exchanges. Artificial intelligence will be one focus of the cooperation between the two institutions.
Corvinus University is hosting the AI Transformation Conference and the Chinese-Hungarian AI Innovation Summit, on Thursday and Friday, in the framework of the cooperation.
The ministry said a “key element” of the government’s innovation strategy is fostering stronger international ties among Hungarian universities and research institutions, both in the West and the East.
The four-year agreement between Corvinus University and the CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute has a budget of EUR 19m. It is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
CUHK-Shenzhen reviews 10 years of achievements
As The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen marks its 10th anniversary, the institution has swiftly risen as a leading educational force in the Chinese mainland, carving a niche with its visionary educational philosophy, robust talent recruitment, interdisciplinary approach, internationalization, and whole-person development, the Chinese university’s official website wrote.
“We benchmarked ourselves against world-class universities from the very beginning, taking on the mission of exploring valuable experiences for the comprehensive reform of higher education in China,” said Professor Xu Yangsheng, CUHK-Shenzhen’s founding president and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
“Establishing an international university in Shenzhen, China’s hub of technological advancement in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, by collaborating with a prestigious Hong Kong university allows us to complement each other’s strengths in talent cultivation, scientific research, and technology transfer, thereby achieving rapid progress,” Xu explained.
“Our university was founded with a macro-perspective, grasping global development trends, including the demands that international politics, economics and technology impose on regional and national development strategies. We actively respond to the strategic needs of China and the Greater Bay Area,” he added.
Global talent
In a decade, CUHK-Shenzhen has established itself as a magnet for global academic talent. With a firm commitment to attract a top-tier faculty, the university has recruited more than 650 renowned scholars, including six Nobel laureates, more than 40 academicians and 100 national-level experts.
Recently, Elsevier, a global information analytics company, and the Stanford University released the 2024 list of the world’s top 2 percent scientists. CUHK-Shenzhen has 44 scientists making the Lifetime Scientific Impact Ranking and 65 scientists on the Annual Scientific Impact Ranking.
The university’s student body has also attracted attention. Over the past nine years, CUHK-Shenzhen has consistently ranked as one of the top universities in Guangdong province for admissions based on gaokao (the national college entrance exam) results. In most provinces, its minimum scores for liberal arts and sciences fall within the top 1 percent and 2 percent.
Innovation
One of CUHK-Shenzhen’s standout features is its commitment to interdisciplinary education and research.
Xu said that from the beginning, CUHK-Shenzhen conducted in-depth research into disciplinary trends and national and regional needs, focusing its academic planning on emerging and interdisciplinary fields.
“Its flat organizational structure, with no departmental divisions, encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration, increasing both efficiency and creativity,” he added.
To date, CUHK-Shenzhen offers 28 undergraduate programs, focusing on emerging fields such as big data, artificial intelligence, robotics, biomedicine, materials science and energy. By balancing fundamental disciplines with new applied sciences, CUHK-Shenzhen has fostered a unique academic ecosystem where research drives social progress.
Several of the university’s key disciplines, including economics, AI and data science, biomedicine, and materials chemistry, are on par with those at leading global universities. Seven of CUHK-Shenzhen’s disciplines rank in the top 1 percent globally in the Essential Science Indicators database, and its computer science program ranks 10th among domestic universities in CS Rankings.
Internationalization
From its inception, internationalization has been central to CUHK-Shenzhen’s identity. With 150 partnerships with prestigious institutions worldwide, the university has created a vibrant global network, fostering student and faculty exchanges, joint research initiatives and academic collaborations.
“An international university must not only increase academic exchanges with foreign universities in the traditional sense, but also create a holistic international education system,” Xu added.
To achieve this, CUHK-Shenzhen adopts international teaching systems and quality review mechanisms, incorporating original and internationally recognized textbooks and uses English as the primary language of instruction.
A clear teaching plan, measurable learning outcomes and assessment standards have been established, and an outcomes-based approach is employed to cultivate students’ problem-solving, independent thinking and innovative abilities, Xu said.
The university also enhances its academic exchanges and collaboration with globally renowned institutions, creating international joint innovation platforms and improving mechanisms for faculty exchange and resource sharing.
CUHK-Shenzhen has built a full-cycle innovation ecosystem covering basic research, technical breakthroughs, industrial application, tech financing and talent support.
This includes 95 research institutes and key laboratories, three of which are Nobel Prize labs, focusing on areas such as robotics and AI, big data, bioinformatics, new materials and energy sciences. It has undertaken more than 370 national-level projects and more than 1,000 international projects.
Liberal education
CUHK-Shenzhen inherits CUHK’s 60-year tradition of college-based and whole-person education, establishing seven residential colleges and implementing a four-year liberal education curriculum.
“CUHK-Shenzhen places students at the forefront of its mission,” Xu said. “Residential colleges create a community space that integrates living, learning and socializing. Through various informal cultural and practical activities, students’ education is enriched and their horizons broadened.”
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Historic deal: Szeged in Hungary sells land to Chinese BYD for nearly EUR 30 million
Szeged has handed over the second parcel of land for the construction of Chinese EV maker BYD’s plant, Mayor László Botka said at a municipal council meeting on Friday.
New BYD factory in Szeged
Botka said that the 161-hectare parcel was handed over at the start of October after it had been cleared of old munitions and an archaeological survey had been completed. The electricity grid at the site is being replaced and expanded, he added. One more parcel of land, with an area of 15 hectares, will be handed over for the BYD plant by year-end, he said.
BYD will pay for the land, and the local council will use the proceeds from the sale to repay state support used to acquire the parcels and develop the area, Deputy Mayor Tamás Kovács said. According to 24.hu, the price of the land is HUF 11 billion 888 million (EUR 29,710,000). BYD has announced plans to spend several billion euros to build its first plant in Europe in Szeged. The factory will have the capacity to turn out 300,000 vehicles a year.
Visual plan of how the BYD factory in Szeged will look:
Szijjártó: Restrictions on cooperation between European car makers, Asian suppliers harmful
Any measure that threatens the electromobility strategy of European car makers and restricts cooperation with Asian suppliers would have a negative impact on the continent’s economy, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at an informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Trade Formation in Budapest on Friday, his ministry said in a statement.
In a speech opening the meeting, Szijjártó said the global economy was undergoing fundamental changes, in part due to the European Union’s decision to make the switch to electromobility in light of road transport’s share of global emissions. That decision “completely changed” the structure and nature of economic and trade ties between the EU and China, he added.
Szijjártó said China and Chinese companies were “indispensable” to the supply chain of the green automotive industry. He welcomed big European car makers’ adaptation to the situation, pointing to their development of competitive electric vehicles, but said they had failed to keep in step with Asian, mainly Chinese, battery makers. He warned that any measure restricting cooperation between Western companies and their Asian suppliers threatened the adoption of car makers’ strategy in the new era and that would weigh on the entire European economy.
He noted that an EU measure introducing punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs had been supported by just ten member states and opposed by five, showing a lack of consensus. He said it was worth weighing the impact of the measure on a country with which bilateral trade with the EU reached EUR 740bn last year. He added that Beijing already had retaliatory measures in its sights. He pointed to Hungary, home to manufacturing bases of all three premium German car brands and plants of five of the ten biggest battery makers in the world, as an example of the mutual benefits yielded by industrial cooperation between East and West.
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Orbán government preparing to take out another loan from China?
National Economy Minister Márton Nagy met with China Development Bank President Tan Jiong on Friday, his ministry said.
The sides discussed joint projects Hungary and China are undertaking in the areas of infrastructure, energy, digitalisation and e-mobility. They also exchanged views on deepening the sovereign financial cooperation in the Chinese-Hungarian Cooperation Framework.
Nagy said ties between Hungary and China, including in the areas of financing cooperation, had “never been better”. Hungary strives to establish economic ties based on mutual respect that benefit all sides, and China and Chinese financial institutions are very important partners in that endeavour, he added.
He acknowledged China’s strengthening role in global financing and the country’s increasing weight in global investments. Hungary has become the number one destination for Chinese investments in Central and Eastern Europe, and the country aims to enhance its role as a bridge for capital, know-how and technology from the East and the West, he added.
He said Hungary was counting on Chinese financial institutions in implementing infrastructure projects in the framework of the government’s economic development strategy, including the V0 railway bypass around Budapest, a rapid rail line connecting Liszt Ferenc International Airport with the centre of the capital, and upgrades of infrastructure at crossings along the border with Serbia. He said the upgrade of the Budapest-Belgrade rail line, another project backed by Chinese financing, was expected to finish in the summer of 2025.
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Hungarian-owned 77 Elektronika unit starts production in China
The 1,000sqm base, near Shanghai, will produce LabUMat and UriSed urine analysers, turning out 300 in its first year of operation, but ramping that number up to 1,000 within a few years, the company said on Tuesday.
77 Elektronika has been active on the Chinese market for 20 years but decided to set up the production unit because hospitals there prefer local suppliers.
77 Elektronika exports to almost 100 countries around the world. It had net sales revenue of HUF 35.2bn (EUR 87.75m) in 2023, public records show.
read also:
Historian: The Hungarian people won’t learn Chinese, just like they didn’t learn Russian
A Chinese influence network active in Hungary: The power of the United Front